The year 2011 will be, according to all indications, a record year for world tourism. Already in 2010, despite the economic crisis, international tourist arrivals increased by 6,7% compared to 2009 and exceeded the arrivals back in 2008, which was the best year for international tourism (930 million arrivals last year, 922 million in 2008). This year, the World Tourism Organization, in its first forecast considers possible a new increase in international arrivals by 4-5%, an outlook that will take off the tourist figures, although the benefits are not shared equally in all regions of the world.

Record year for the tourism industry in Germany is predicted as well, as highlighted in the international exhibition ITB Berlin. Already the bookings to various Mediterranean destinations have doubled, so for this year the Germans abandon the practice of late bookings.

Estimates of travel agents are optimistic for Greek tourism. If the current pace of booking continues , then an increase in arrivals of 10% this year is quite a size "visible" today, emphasizes in an interview in "Xenia news" the president of the Pan-Hellenic Federation of Hoteliers (POX) and first vice Association of Greek Tourist Enterprises (SETE), Mr. Andreas Andreadis. Positive, too, as pointed out, are the potential for tourist revenue, after two very negative consecutive years. At current growth rates, says Mr. Andreadis, it is likely that no more offers from the Greek hotels are needed, an outlook that gives better space for the management of the prices for businesses and higher revenue.

Similar considerations makes at the "Xenia news" also the chairman of the Hellenic Chamber of Hotels George Tsakiris, stressing that a large increase in arrivals is expected by the markets of Russia and Israel, double than the digits in France, a major from the UK and slower growth than Germany. In the German market, as noted in "Xenia news" Mr Michael Karavas of "Attika Reisen", the negative climate that was last year due to the debt crisis and related publications mockingly for the Greek portion of the German press and strikes, are not completely reversed this year. According to Mr Tsakiris, Greece, Crete, Corfu, Chalkidiki, Mykonos and Santorini, apparently, are the Greek destinations to record their best performances in 2011.

Indicative of the strong demand that exists this year for destinations in Greece is the continuous increase of airport seats by almost all tour operators and low cost airlines, while increasing the Aegean summer flights to Greece from several European airports.

The assessment that the Greek tourism is entering a recovery path not only for this season, but for future years as well, was expressed by the Minister of Culture and Tourism, Mr. Pavlos Geroulanos after contacts in Berlin with representatives of major tour operators. "In all the meetings I had, said Mr. Geroulanos, the largest tour operators in Germany said they are ready to invest in Greece in the next two to three years".

"The indications so far are extremely encouraging for this year", points out, moreover, in an interview in "Xenia news" the President of the ESO Mr Nicholas Kanellopoulos, stressing: "Greece as a whole, is an attractive destination with greatly improved the proportionality quality and cost. The resultant is a most decisive reinforcement denominator to attract tourists in Greece that is popular."

The President of the ESO also reveals that the regulation of YP.PO.T, which is nearing completion, settled matters relating to attract major investors in the tourism sector, such as the provision of holiday homes, properties rental pool type primarily concerned with condo hotels, the rates of outputs and the required building area for POTA, as well as issues relating to withdrawal of hotels.